Disqualifications steal the show at NCS Tri-Valley track championships

Campolindo's Brighie Leach (3) runs against Granada's Maryann Gong (1) while competing in the girls 1600 meter run during the North Coast Section Tri-Valley Area track and field meet at Granada High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Livermore, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

LIVERMORE -- Several impactful disqualifications stole some of the show Saturday at the North Coast Section Tri-Valley Area track and field championships at Granada.

The biggest was De La Salle High's Marquis Morris. The state leader in the boys 300-meter hurdles entering the day according to PrepCalTrack.com was eliminated for a trail leg violation, which occurs when a leg swings around a hurdle instead of going over it.

Word of his DQ didn't come until well after he held off a charge from Amador Valley's Sam Peters to win his heat and record the day's fastest time. But the violation means the junior won't advance to next week's NCS Meet of Champions in the event.

It also prevented him from being a triple-winner on the day as he already took first in the 110-meter hurdles (14.26 seconds) and the 100-meter dash (10.91).

"Today is just another stepping stone for next week," Morris said before learning of his DQ. "I can go out there at MOC and do what I need to do and then go to state."

The 100-meter dash race was particularly exciting, with Morris holding off Cal's Karris Johnson and Freedom's Joe Mixon. Johnson is a senior with a football scholarship to Utah State. Mixon is a junior who is among the country's most hotly-recruited running backs.

The top seven in each event automatically advance to the Meet of Champions, which is Friday and Saturday at Cal's Edwards Stadium.

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The top two boys 400 relays teams were also disqualified, as Amador Valley and De La Salle both failed to execute their final handoffs and did not finish the race. Amador was ranked 11th in the state entering the weekend and De La Salle was 13th.

Amador's Conner McKinnon was also disqualified in the boys 800. He had the day's top time but was ruled to have cut into the inside lane too early.

There were some positive performances. Heritage's Frank Kurtz, who entered the day as the state leader in the boys 400 meters, finished in 47.85 and was the top qualifier.

The performance gives him a chance to redeem himself after experiencing disappointment at last year's Meet of Champions. He was leading in the 400 with about 50 meters to go when he lost his balance and fell to end his season. Now he'll return to Edwards Stadium next week looking to advance to the state meet.

"I don't really think about it too much," Kurtz said of last year's disappointment. "But whenever I do it's pretty powerful and motivates me."

Dublin freshman Mecca McGlaston shattered the five-year-old meet record of 14.95 in the 100 hurdles with her winning time of 14.32. Another meet record came in the 300 hurdles when Deer Valley's Sasha Newman won in 44.22 to beat a 15-year-old record.

There were four others that joined Morris in winning two events. Pittsburg's Tyra Lassair won the girls shot put and discus and Carondelet's Christina Chenault won the triple jump and the 400 meters.

For the boys, Amador Valley's Matt Esparza won his third straight Tri-Valley discus title and second straight shot put crown. De La Salle's Blair Hurlock cruised to titles in the 1,600 and 3,200.

The Amador Valley boys edged De La Salle for the team title. The Dons had 72 1/2 points to the Spartans' 70. Deer Valley won the girls team title with 85 points. Granada was second with 57.